Citizen TV broadcaster Immanuel Ndung’u has sent Kenyans into fits of laughter after a clip of him attempting to speak Kiswahili on air for the very first time made the rounds on social media.
The clip, shared on Instagram on Friday, September 16, was filmed inside a Citizen TV studio and showed Immanuel excitedly pulling his colleague, celebrated Kiswahili newscaster Mashirima Kapombe, into the moment.
Can Immanuel Ndung’u speak Kiswahili?
“Today I spoke Swahili for the first time on air,” he told her, barely containing his excitement.
Mashirima, clearly curious, asked him:
“Wow, ulisema nini?”
The video then cut to the interview that sparked the whole saga. Immanuel had been in conversation with a guest when he asked:
“Your relationship with your opponent, is it a healthy rivalry or is there some animosity in between there?”
The guest, rather than answering directly, threw down a challenge:
“Maybe you can ask in Swahili.”
Immanuel, game enough to try, gave it his best shot:
“In Swahili? What a challenge, huh? So, unaskizana between your opponents or kuna beef?”
The guest laughed it off, saying there was no beef because sport is sport, but back in the studio, Mashirima was not going to let Immanuel celebrate too easily.
She pointed out flatly:
“That was just one word.”
Immanuel pushed back, counting on his fingers
“Two words. Halafu nilisema ama uko na beef. How many words is that? Four words.”
“Siku moja nitakua na Mashirima Kapombe Nipashe,” Immanuel said, promising that one day he would anchor the Swahili bulletin alongside her.
The clip quickly caught on, with Kenyans finding the whole thing thoroughly entertaining.
Here is what people had to say:
@_josh1.0:
“A disappointed Swahili teacher.”
@ellenbarrack:
“Let this one be paired with Jeff Koinange one day.”
@_its_.levi:
“A for effort @immmanuelnd.”
@christopherg266:
“I had to watch this like two times.”
@finlay_joash:
“The struggle is real.”
